Southeastern-UMKC Box Score
Southeastern-Southern Box Score

HAMMOND –The Southeastern Louisiana softball team managed to split a pair of games on the final day of the 2011 Lion Classic Sunday afternoon at North Oak Park.

Freshman Jessie Browne (2-0) led the Lady Lions (3-2) to a 9-0 win over Southern in the tournament's final game. Browne threw the first complete game shutout of her career, striking out nine and scattering two hits. At the plate, the Zachary native was 2-for-2 with four RBI, as she and sophomore Michelle Duhe each hit their first career home runs in the victory.

Junior Meghan Gomez was 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in the day's opening game. However, UMKC used a five-run third inning to take a 5-3 win over the Lady Lions.

In the day's other games, Nicholls picked up a pair of victories, defeating Akron, 5-4, and Jackson State, 7-1. Tennessee-Martin also picked up a win, rolling past St. Louis, 11-3.

UMKC took the Lion Classic title with a 4-1 tournament record. Southeastern, St. Louis and Akron all tied for second place with a 3-2 mark.

Southeastern head coach Pete Langlois was pleased with his team's performance during the opening weekend.

“We're a long way from where we want to be, but overall this was a good start to the season,” Langlois commented. “We left too many on base and let a couple of wins get away from us, but we had good production throughout the lineup.

“Katie Duhe, Meghan and Kelsey Nichols all performed well at the plate and we expect that type of production from them,” Langlois continued. “The most encouraging thing was that our newcomers stepped in and were productive right away. Obviously, Jessie was great in the circle and made a mark at the plate today. But, we were also pleased with the play of Katie Matthews, Megan McCollum, Tori Sheppard and Hali Westmoreland.”

The Lady Lions will be back in action on Wednesday. Southeastern will head to Baton Rouge to face No. 19 LSU at 6 p.m.

Game One – UMKC 5, Southeastern Louisiana 3
The Lady Lions jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Junior Jordan Logan drew a leadoff walk and one out later, Gomez ripped her first home run of the season over the left field fence to give Southeastern the early advantage.

Southeastern junior pitcher Vicki Honeycutt (0-1) cruised through the first two innings, but ran into trouble in the third. Honeycutt walked the first three batters of the inning and was relieved by sophomore Elise Kittrell. Kelly Fischer singled home the first run to cut the Lady Lion lead in half. Megan Ussary and Emily Ott followed with a pair of two-run singles to put UMKC on top, 5-2.

Lady Lion sophomore Kati Morse took over for Kittrell after the third inning. The Ponchatoula native allowed two hits and two strikeouts in three shutout innings of relief.

Southeastern could not mount a threat until the seventh inning. Michelle Duhe led off the frame with a bunt single and scored when Gomez roped a two-out double off the centerfield fence. Katie Duhe came up as the tying run, but UMKC pitcher Deanna Friese struck out the Lady Lion senior to end the game.

Game Two – Southeastern Louisiana 9, Southern (6 Innings)
Southeastern broke a scoreless tie in the top of the third inning without the benefit of a hit. Southern starter Lindsay Konopelko hit junior Lauren Coniglio and Michelle Duhe to put a pair of runners on. Nichols then laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt inside the third base line. Jasmine Tillman rushed her throw to first and it sailed into the right field corner, allowing Coniglio and Duhe to score and give the Lady Lions a 2-0 lead.

The following inning, Browne ripped the first pitch of the frame over the left field fence to add to the Southeastern lead. Two outs later, Michelle Duhe rocketed a line drive over the left centerfield wall. Browne and Duhe's shots marked the 12th time in school history Southeastern has hit two home runs in the same inning and pushed the Lady Lion lead to 4-0.

In the fifth, Katie Duhe, Matthews and McCollum led off the inning with consecutive singles to load the bases. Browne then drew a bases loaded walk to force in a run. Later in the inning, Honeycutt, who was pinch running for Browne, scored on a wild pitch by Southern pitcher Michael Pless to push the Lady Lion edge to 6-0.

Southern mounted its best threat of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Browne issued three walks to load the bases with two outs. Browne kept the Jaguars off the board by striking out Kiah Williams to end the inning.

Sheppard was hit by a pitch, then singles by Nichols and Logan loaded the bases to open the Southeastern half of the sixth. Nichols would eventually score on an RBI groundout by McCollum. Browne just missed her second home run of the game, doubling off the top of the left field fence to score a pair of runs and move the Lady Lion lead to 9-0.

Southern put a pair of runners on with one out in the sixth inning. Browne put the game away, however, striking out Jasmine Tillman and Jasmine Payne and enforcing the mercy rule.

2011 Lion Classic Schedule – Feb. 11-13 – Hammond, La. – North Oak Park
Friday, February 11

Field One
St. Louis 1, Southern 0
Akron 5, Southeastern 1

Field Two
UMKC 10, Jackson State 4
Southern 11, Jackson State 7

Field Three
Nicholls vs. Tennessee-Martin, Cancelled

Saturday, February 12

Field One
UMKC 3, Southern 1
St. Louis 3, Nicholls 0
Southeastern 4, Tennessee-Martin 2
Southeastern 10, St. Louis 8

Field Two
Jackson State 4, Tennessee-Martin 2
Akron 4, Jackson State 3
Akron 9, Southern 8

Field Three
St. Louis 11, Akron 4
UMKC 9, Nicholls 6
Tennessee-Martin 3, UMKC 2

Sunday, February 13

Field One
UMKC 5, Southeastern 3
Southeastern 9, Southern 0

Field Two
Nicholls 5, Akron 4
Nicholls 7, Jackson State 1

Field Three
Tennessee-Martin 11, St. Louis 3

Final Tournament Records
UMKC – 4-1
Southeastern – 3-2
St. Louis – 3-2
Akron – 3-2
UT Martin – 2-2
Nicholls – 2-2
Southern – 1-4
Jackson State – 1-4